knowhatimean

No Wiz - I think us old uns have just about been right about Worthy and like, you, having been very critical of some of his signings, substitutions, tactics, continual use of his seemingly favourite players, ie, his apparent love affair with Holt in particular, at the expense of reason. I was surprised that as a former defender himself and being a defencively minded Manager, more attention was not given to addressing the goals conceded problems we have been dogged with all season. Having said all that, I like the man for his honesty and obvious commitment to the Club and feel that the learning curve he has had to negotiate has been a particularly steep one, having regard for injuries to key players at vital stages of the season. I do wish his wake up call had been made a bit earlier but then, the injuries etc probably made it difficult for him. I do wish him and the club all the best for Sunday but I am not as brave as you Wiz if you can bear to listen to the Waller commentary on the game - I shall probably do what we usually do and watch Jeff Stelling on Sky and hope for the best! OTBC for ever

Hi there Wiz - Sorry to hear of your illness - like you, I have been off the boards for a while due to a nasty condition but I went to to the game today, the first since the Liverpool game, dreading a relapse but came away highly delighted and determined myself not to go down with the Canaries. Please do not despair - I have a feeling our first away win of the season will see us ok and we can take our seats in August in our rightful place - watching our team in the Premiership!Hope you and me continue to make progress as well!OTBC for ever

Hi Morph I would have thought that the measurement of our success this season can easily be made by picking up any newspaper, looking at the league position we currently hold and look like holding to the end of the season and watching most of the inept performances of our team, unfortunately, often in front of the TV cameras for the world to see. As I and many others have said before, this can only be down to the persons responsible for assembling a team equipped to play against some of the top teams in Europe. We have, in this regard, failed miserably. I have been supporting and watching Norwich City for over sixty years and like any other clubs in the football leagues, we have had our good spells and bad spells. We were never going to produce many surprises in our first year back in the Prem. after nine years absence but when you see teams of perhaps similar standing, do enough to cement their positions in the league it is sad not to see Norwich City on par with them. We have a wonderful, ground, wonderful supporters and, up to last season, I thought we had a wonderful board. Not so sure about this season, though. Clubs like West Brom, Southampton, Portsmouth were not slow to change their Management teams and I do know know why Norwich should be any different. After all,in any form of management, success is measured by performance and unfortunately they have not performed well enough. OTBC

The Manager must take full responsibility for the position the club is in and how anyone can not accept this is beyond belief. The performances on the field reflect the quality of the coaching and motivation of the Management team and we fully deserve to be bottom of the league. The Board must also take full responsibility for not doing as most other clubs would have done in the same position by replacing the Manager giving his replacement adequate time to turn things around. Sorry but that is my honest opinion of the situation and I am sure it will be shared by many clear thinking supporters. Mr Carrow is spot on with his assessment of Worthy''s team selections, substitutions, transfer dealings etc etc.We all knew that it would be difficult in the Premiership but to see a Norwich City team so lacking in passion and resigned to relegation when our main rivals are fighting to retain their top flight status hurts.

I am afraid the main reasons we now find ourselves in the position many of the so-called experts predicted at the commencement of the season are: a/ the quality of the playing staff - they are simply are not good enough b/ the inability of the Management Team to coach the players into a team capable of competing in the Premiership c/ the inability of the Manager, himself a defender in his playing days, to develop even a reasonable defence to cope with rigorous attacking qualities in the Premiership, hence our appalling goal difference. d/ the complete naivity of a Manager in his team selections, substitutions and in the transfer market.(OK, unlucky with injuries but so are others) Yes, Nigel Worthington did wonderful things for the club in getting promoted but unfortunately this good work has not continued in the Premiership for the above reasons. After every match, we are treated to the same old managerial rhetoric about being pleased with the players, the work rate, how we must learn from yet another abysmal performance. I know it must be most frustrating for Nigel not to have the unlimited funds available to some clubs but I believe today, Bolton''s team did not cost as much as Dean Ashton - correct me if I am wrong please. No, there is more to winning than just spending money, what we have sadly lacked, apart from the odd game this season, is the passion and will to win and the complete lack of motivation on and off the pitch. As I am typing this garbish, I am looking at my poster showing all the happy faces with banners saying ''Going Up'' and have no pleasure in having to admit the next ones will probably say ''Going Down'' Let''s hope they are not being held by people in blue and white which would be the ultimate disaster! Sorry to be such a gloom merchant but after supporting City for all of sixty years, I have seen all this before and know that the Club will emerge and live to fight again in the top league - but don''t bank on next year! OTBC - for ever

Would somebody please tell me why Mr Worthington bought two international goalkeepers for the Club and also signed a junior goalkeeper. I should like to know. To answer Mr Young''s suggestion, of course it would make sense to sacrifice Greeno IF we can get a couple of reliable defenders in to stop up the leaks! OTBC

Striker - Hucks plays out far too wide and stands out like a sore thumb out on the wing. Yes we all know of his dribbling capabilities but I feel if he was playing just behind the front TWO (not one), he would be more anonymous and much more effective going forward. As it is, he is being marked out of every game with up three defenders on him as soon as he gets the ball. I say give him a bit of freedom. OTBC

Well Herb - Have to disagree with some of your points. Our injury crisis would not have been a problem to Manure or Ars because they have the equivalent of two Premiership teams within their clubs and can afford to miss key players. As for getting behind the Manager and the team, I have been doing so for over 60 years but at this moment in time, reluctant to do so all the way down to the Championship! I too heard Worthy''s after match excuses and I seem to have heard them all before. He may just as well made a recording of his comments after the earlier matches we had in the Prem. and merely play them each week! No, seriously, of course we still support our Club but to even the most diehard supporter of which I am one, things are getting a bit frustrating to say the least. We have a good Manager who repeatedly says we are still learning from the experience of being in the Premiership but I only wish he would convey that to his coaching staff for time and time again we are caught very short on basic tactical play. Whatever happended to man marking. Today all we heard on the commentary was how dominant Lee Hendrie was for Villa. Once this was becoming apparant, he should have had a man on his back with his hand down his shorts if necessary to combat his threat. The opposition usually do it with Hucks so why don''t we?? Most of our goals conceded this season have been through poor to non exixtent marking and its about time we did something about it Our only hope is that we can win more matches at FCR and get the odd result away in order to survive. We cannot rely on other results going our way all the time. I am sure Dean Ashton will prove another excellent signing but he does need time and help to adjust to the speed of the Prem. and to play him up front on his own is nothing short of lunacy. We do obviously need to shore up the defense as well and get a ball playing midfielder SAP. Rant over OTBC

Its beginning to look inevitable now that we will be relegated. Credit to Worthy for bringing in Ashton but what the hell is he doing. Once again his choice of tactics is laughable. He did not give the lad a chance today sticking him up front on his own. Hes played the whole of his career with another striker up front with him so to throw him in like that is just plain dumb. I agree that we need some new faces in defence and also midfield but i think it is too much to ask considering the amount spent on Ashton. Please look at your tactics worthy and get back to basics sharpish so we can get a few wins under our belt.

Well, we have had part of the answer I and I would congratulate the Club in signing who hopefully will be the answer at one end of the field. Now all we need is somebody to prop up our leaky defence and with Flem now Captain, we may get somewhere - like mid-table. We shall see!! OTBC

I''m sorry the lad is injured and hope that he recovers soon but I really agree that he should be returned to Arsenal if the loan conditions cover it. I do not think he has lived up to his potential here and IMO is no better than players we already have. Yes it was worth a try but apart from the odd moment in the odd game he has done nothing more that say Paul McVeigh did when he was playing as regularly. No, I say we say thanks to him and wish him well back at Arsenal.OTBC

[quote]I heard ages ago from a Crewe contact that we had made a bid for Dean Ashton but nothing seems to have come of it? Anybody else heard anything. I am surprised there has been no bids for Dean as he i...[/quote] Is this now coming true? Perhaps we shall soon find out!! OTBC

[quote]The next two months will tell how much Norwich City Football Club has in the way of ambition to stay in the Premiership. Having worked so hard to get promoted, if results do not continue to go our way...[/quote] The time is nigh! Hopefully we shall soon have the answer!! OTBC

Agree Vicar - yes we probably would have remained in two World Cups for a while but equally we probably would not have won it in 1966 on the basis of video evidence! I raised this topic many years ago at a football forum held by NCFC and was shot down in flames by many of those present with the notable exception of Nigel Worthington. He was probably only too aware of the implications when the lack of decisions or cheating in the game is allowed which often condemns clubs to relegation and Managers to the dole queue. No, the officials must have help and quickly.

Isn''t amazing how many different views are held on this topic? I find it equally amazing how many fans are happy to continue with the present system which allows so much injustices in the game - cheats being allowed to prosper etc. You cannot always blame the officials - with the speed of the game today, they need help in some form or other. To say that there are no natural breaks in the game is a nonsence - what are goal kicks, throw-ins, corners, and free kicks? Obviously we do not want a situation where every decision made on the pitch is queried - the officials are often proved to be correct anyway but where there are clear errors which can only be highlighted by TV, I cannot see why this cannot be introduced into the game. The referee already has buzzer contact whith his assistants so why cannot a similar system be set up with the fourth official sitting in front of a monitor who can see what the watching fans saw at Old Trafford the other evening. This official should have the same decision making powers as the referee but then of course, the camera action would have to be faultless as well! Of course there would be problems in introducing such a system, how far is it extended? I would say that it should certainly cover the four leagues in this country. The FA has idicated that it is prepared to consider the possibility of using video evidence and I think they have to. They have taken advantage of it to act retrospectively in the past, with Rooney etc so I cannot see how they can be selective in what they accept as evidence. FIFA, of course will probably have the final say anyway so it would obviously take ages to implement if at all. The only other way I can think to compensate teams who are victims of circumstances, ie deliberate cheating or incorrect decisions, would be to introduce a supplementary points system which might be worth looking at. One thing I am sure, this debate will roll on and on until something satisfactory emerges.

Well said, Saint - Yes obviously we were against class opposition but I still felt that we could have played with a bit more passion. Watching Pompey take on Arse yesterday had me wishing we could have had a go like they did - we had nothing to lose, except perhaps a few bookings. No, we gave them too much respect which is something they are getting to expect and why they are doing so well. Perhaps it will be a different game when we get them down here - lets hope so. OTBC

Two wins dont make a season Chicken. It is great that we played well saturday and got the vital three points but it doesnt mean that we can get carried away. A lot of work to be done yet and it will be interesting to see Worthingtons decisions when players like Holt, Mulryne and the like are fit again.

Told you so!! OTBC

Because I could not get to the game today thru sickness, I had to send the old lady and though she is normally a bit of a jinx, I did predict a result for City - at least one point but I will settle for the three. Perhaps I should send her to more games in the future. I must also eat my words regarding Bents - according to Alan Smith on Sky, he was man of the match but I would still like to see how consistent he is before I fully digest them. Well done boys - a point at Chelsea will make me feel much better! OTBC

Exactly my point, Rob - if the planes had green roofs and integral garages, the Planners would probably have passed it!

Here here Zipper - Just look at the goals against column. I just wish we could tighten up the marking - we seem to give the opposition far too much space and then get sucked out of position. I am all for having Shackell or the Doc in the middle, moving Charlton out instead of Drury, who badly needs a rest. I would also make Charlton the Captain as he has more get up and go than any of the others, including Drury. For the midfield, we will have to persevere with what we have and you never know, Helveg & Safri might develop into a useful partnership with McVeigh coming in instead of Bentley, who, IMO should be sent back from whence he came with a thanks but no thanks! OTBC

At the risk of becoming repetitive, I did a post on 21/11/04 referring to Green''s predicted signing by Arsenal. He has (allegedly) purchased a house in Herts and the transfer has been set up with us getting Pennant plus a cash deal. We must just wait and see. OTBC

Message for Peter: I see the old chestnut about newbies has arisen again - can I ask is it necessary for everybody to know if somebody is new or old and how many posts they have made and whether they are senior or junior posters. Surely it is the content of the post and entitlement of the poster to express an opinion on the boards without the fear of intimidation from so called senior posters? Risking controversy, it could be that some of them have been on far too long. I do agree with Wiz, however, as I have commented before there is far too much repetition on the boards but realise that this is something difficult to control and your popular topics may well address this problem. OTBC

Hi GTG - No,I am not sauying the situation is as bad as 94/95 but unless something drastic is done, the end result will be the same. If you remember, the Club had enjoyed probably the most successful period in its history when ordinary players were transformed into a quality team. Then the policy changed and instead of reinforcing their position, well, we all know what happened. What I am saying, do we need to go down that particular path again? For a start I do not think we have quality players to sell but like you and Zipper, having witnessed the training methods, feel that a higher class of coach is required if our ordinary players can be improved with basic skills like passing and movement. More important, as I have mentioned on another post, we need an injection of passion and motivation - something I do not witness at FCR at the moment, neither on or off the pitch. I know I seem to be having a real moan today but I do not want to see the Club I love and have followed for over 60 years (yes, sixty years) be condemned once again to the lower leagues for the sake of necessary change.

Anyone see that our beloved City Council has refused the Airport permission to run extra flights to cater for City away supporters because some sad old gits do not like having late? flights into Norwich Airport because of noise! Strange, choosing to live near an airport and then objecting to the noise - perhaps they should use gliders instead. Another example of our fine city helping out our team.